More like, if you don’t want to go to a restaurant that allows dogs, don’t go there. You’ll soon see places that cater to those who want to bring pets, and those that cater to people who don’t want to be around them.
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Amazing what freedom can do.

Pyewacket2: I do allow pets in most places. Not allowing pets has it’s pros and cons just as doing so does.
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As a property owner, it’s up to me to set the policy on pets, and then deal with the consequences. A restaurant should be no different. If they allow pets and it becomes a large crap and fly zone, then they’ll quickly change policy as I’d imagine no one will want to eat there.
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My only point is let the person that owns the restaurant set the policy and live with the consequences (of either increased biz from pet owners, or decreased biz from people that don’t want to be around them). I don’t want that decision being made in city hall.

I’m usually pretty libertarian on social issues as well, but there is a legitimate public health and safety argument on this one. 1) Some people are deathly allergic to dogs. At the very least, a business that allows pets should be required to post ample signage. 2) Animals are individuals with unique personalities, just like people, but they lack the linguistic ability to communicate that they’re agitated or uncomfortable. A good owner can read the body language and exercise good judgement, but many people make poor pet owners, and some are just as deranged as the animals that they’ve raised; the same could probably be said about restaurant and bar owners and their clientele…but in any case, innocent bystanders are potentially in harm’s way. 3) Patrons place an implicit trust in a restauranteur and in the City to ensure that facilities are sanitary and properly functioning. They cannot be expect to be shown the kitchen before a meal to judge for themselves (that process would be unsanitary, itself), nor should they be expected to have the technical expertise of a health inspector. Depending on how pets are accommodated at a restaurant, code requirements should vary, too.

I think that most of these concerns can be mitigated by proper signage. Some of them require additional involvement. To that end, I do hope that opportunities for heavy-handedness or favoritism are minimized.

Reading these comments you’d think that this was some wild new idea. I’ve eaten on plenty of restaurant patios with dogs around – in Galveston, when I lived in Washington, when I’ve been in Europe – and by and large the dogs sat around (probably patiently hoping for table scraps). I can only wish the average child in a restaurant behaved as well as the average dog. I was quite shocked when I found out that Houston banned dogs on restaurant patios – Houston tends to be very light of regulation in general, and it just seemed like a completely weird thing to have been outlawed.

I’m not sure what terrible health risk you think dogs pose; can you name some diseases transmitted from dogs to people by casual contact? You’ve got a much higher chance of picking up a nasty bug from someone with a runny nose at the next table.

I’ve also never seen a dog defecate or urinate in a restaurant, though I’m sure it happens sometimes. I would expect that the dog owner would quickly clean up & enlist help from the staff if needed. But this is unlikely to be a problem with a decently trained dog, and most dog owners who go places in public with their dogs are pretty conscientious about these things (including keeping an eye on the dog in case there are warning signs of needing a trip out to the grass). (On the other hand, I had the misfortune of sitting near a couple who thought it was acceptable to change their kid’s diaper sitting in their plane seat… now that was revolting.)

In short – get a grip, and relax, people. This is a normal part of life in many, many American cities and the world hasn’t ended, horrible dog-spread plagues have not broken out, people have not been mauled by poodles while eating their burgers, etc. (On the other hand, people have been shot by other humans in restaurants…)

I think you see a lot of places in Montrose, by the way, because the neighborhood is compact and has lots of places to eat, so taking your dog for a walk and stopping for a bite to eat along the way is an appealing scenario on a nice day. I doubt many people put the dog in the car to take it to lunch (anywhere).

John, how about we compromise. Allow dogs in cafes off of Montrose. Disallow dogs in cafes off of Market Street. (If only you knew how many times I’ve been lunged at by attack dogs in east Houston this week. Although…I’ve got to say, it is funny when they head-butt the chain link fence. Also, the one owned by the blonde meth addict was playful enough.)

I might suggest that your experiences are a biased sample and I would point out that Houston is a big city.

Again, I’m not against allowing dogs into restaurants. I’m mostly just in favor of reasonable notice and sanitary requirements. For instance, dogs should only be allowed only on impermiable and washable floor coverings, not carpet, accessibility to a pooper-scooper or some such thing should be guaranteed, and adequate signage should be posted to inform patrons of the policy and to advise them to wear shoes (because ringworms are a bitch, so to speak). That sort of thing.